I ended up in Alison’s designer gown, sitting next to her at a swanky hotel ballroom, pretending to be her.
In my past life, I hadn’t paid much attention to Soren Armitage. All I remembered was that he had a strong sense of principles. But meeting him again this time… there was a strange sense of fate in the air.
He was handsome, well-mannered and refreshingly down-to-earth—not at all like the typical spoiled heir. Like me, he’d only been in one serious relationship before and he carried himself with quiet integrity.
When I told him I believed in a lifelong, exclusive kind of love, he lit up. Said he’d been pursued by plenty of women over the years, but all he really wanted was someone who shared his ideals. His “one and only.”
That night, we talked for hours. Everything just clicked.
We went on a few more dates after that and he seemed to like me more and more. Soon enough, Aunt Hannah’s doorstep was flooded with designer gifts and lavish bouquets.
The moment Alison saw him—polished in a sharp suit, leaning against his Cullinan—her entire attitude flipped. That very night, she dumped Owen and called me up, claiming that Soren had always been meant for her.
But I wasn’t about to roll over this time. I met her words with a smile full of barbs.
“Poor, Alison. Are you addicted to stealing my boyfriends?”
She scoffed.
“I let you have Owen because he was trash. But Soren? Soren has standards—and you don’t meet any of them.”
Her mask slipped just for a second, but then she put it right back on, her voice laced with smug confidence.
“Think you’re so great?” she hissed. “Believe it or not, Soren Armitage is going to be mine. And when that day comes, I’ll savor the moment you finally realize you’re nothing but a failure—never able to keep a man.”
Rage boiled up inside me and I slammed my glass down so hard the rim cracked.
I slammed my glass down so hard it cracked.
Aunt Hannah came storming in and when she heard my cousin had finally “come to her senses,” she was thrilled.
“Well, looks like Alison’s finally come to her senses,” she said, like we were all part of some sick game show.
Then she turned to me and dropped the hammer. Then she turned to me with that frosty, commanding tone.
“Fran, let’s not forget you were only standing in for Alison at that event to begin with. It’s only right you give Soren back to her.”